The town…

To get the bearings for the locations of places in my posts, I used to go to this website that a commentor introduced me to sometime ago. It is convenient and easy to use but there are just the maps and satellite views that may be somewhat out-dated – at some parts of town, you may just find an empty piece of land and I do not know where they got the names of the roads from as some are not quite correct.

Well, the other day, my blogger-friend in Perth, Australia posted this comment:“I looked up your geo-coordinates in Google maps and found that Sibu now has street view! Last time I checked a few months ago, it didn’t. I remember you mentioned the Google car has been around. Now I can enjoy cruising your city, but cannot taste the wonderful food!”
Gee!!! I could not wait to go and check it out and oh boy, I sure enjoyed “driving” around all over town!

You can click on this link here and click on “street view” (top left) to go around the whole town and have a look at what Sibu looks like…

I don’t know when the car went around – probably on a Sunday afternoon when traffic was generally very light and many of the coffee shops were closed and there were not that many people at those that were open. That’s the typical Sunday here for you – slow and easy.

It was quite busy at the Sibu Central Market though…

– the biggest in the country or maybe the car went round on a different day.

You will see the places of interest like the Sibu Heritage Centre…

…or the Sibu Town Square…

*See those vehicles parked all along the yellow lines, on the sidewalk and also the island! You’ll see many of the likes of those here! Tsk! Tsk!*

…or you may want to venture out of the commercial centre…

…and go and see the huge mansions…

…here, there and everywhere. You will find that generally, the town looks quite different from those in the peninsula especially if you look into the nitty gritty details like the road signs and others. While you’re going around, you may want to count how many coffee shops there are altogether! LOL!!!

My friend in Oz blogged about how he spotted himself cycling on the road in the streetview of where he is located and lo and behold!!! When I went to check out my own house, I saw my car either driving in or out of my driveway! Going up the lane and turning back, the car was still there and I could get a glimpse of who was inside! Not me! Hehehehehehe!!!! Then I went to the shops that I frequent quite a lot because of their ideal location just round the corner from my house and there she was too, my car parked by the side of the road!!! That was really hilarious! All of us had a really good laugh over it! Well, I wonder how many of you have read this recent story in a newspaper – it certainly looks like there are others as well who have been caught “with their pants down”, in a manner of speaking. LOL!!!

I did hear at the time about the Google car being in other towns here like Sarikei for instance. Maybe I can go and “drive” around there as well…

23 thoughts on “The town…”

The first time I checked out Google Street View and saw my house, I felt creepy, scared even. I was thinking, now everyone with my address will know how my house looks like and it is so easy to locate me. And then time passed and I kind of forgotten that but after reading your post and see how easily your car is spotted everywhere, I feel scared again. Don’t know why..

Too bad it’s not live. Then I can go and stalk your every move. 😀 😀 😀 Wasn’t there a movie with something like that – starring Jim Carrey, if I remember correctly? These days, with your house address, it is very easy to track you down – some blogger friends came to town and lo and behold! There they were – right outside my gate! And it seems we need to fill in our address everywhere – register for this and that, online credit card payments and what not. Perhaps we should go back to the old-school post office boxes…

the city looks nice … spacious roads, not too crowded, no traffic nightmare, and lots of trees too … as you know, i’ve never been to sibu, but i’m pretty sure i’d enjoy a getaway there for a few days. someday, someday 🙂

When? When? Make it soon! I’d be glad to be your food tour guide here. Just let me know when you’re heading this way!

Now I do not feel any privacy with the Google car around. Feel like someone is spying on me! Virtual world is as dangerous (or even more!) than the actual world. Gosh! Maybe I watched too much of CSI:Cyber.

You have those crime watch cctv’s there? Bet you have, your high class residential area. We have those here, all over town. If you have, then you’d better watch out – somebody is watching your every move. Hehehehehe!!!!

I always off my location in my handphone, so I don’t use Google map or Google car often.. I don’t even download Waze.. If I need to, I’ll use Google maps (same like GPS), then I off my location again after I’ve reached my destination.. Feel unsafe, hehe..

I thought young people are perfectly all right with things like this? I don’t have a smartphone so I don’t have all those apps but yes, I do not state my location either – some will tell the world they are at which airport, share photos of their boarding passes and all. I most certainly will not do that – I am also just as paranoid about these things – old man.

I’m sure there are but salary is low, though considering the low cost of living, a little may be more than enough compared to getting a high salary elsewhere. Of course, there is not much life here – no excitement, no clubbing and all that stuff, nothing much to do, so most of the young people here would rather go and work in Penang, KL, Singapore…all over the world. A whole lot more fun…but pockets empty!

Oh my, thanks to google for empowering us with this capability, i should agree with the guy that you can roam around the city but you can’t taste the food!:)

The downside of that is that our privacy might suffer as everyone knows about our addresses.

They would need to know our addresses in the first place, don’t they? And all they will get to see would be a streetview photo of the house – I have one of my house in my blog already – posted that sometime ago after I had it painted. Can’t see how it would be an intrusion of our privacy for people living elsewhere – the locals can drive to the house if they know the address, no need for any streetview for them to do that, the GPS would be good enough maybe if they do not know the way.

Hahaha so who drove out your car? XD
I love this street view feature, can travel around without physically being there.

Hmmmm…not hard to guess.

It may come in handy sometimes. So far,I used it once to look around Wellington before my girl went over to study there – and we got to see the apartment where she would be staying, that kind of thing. Other than that, I did drop by Singapore to look at the places that I loved so well way back in 1973 but everything is so different now so I was kind of disappointed. Never went back again. 😦

Rather unnerving isn’t it? There’s no more privacy just like in the story 1984 by George Orwell. Big Brother is watching 😀

It does make one feel exposed…but it’s like looking at multiple photographs of people’s houses. You can see my house here:https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/our-house/
…and you can go on google maps and see it there – it is exactly the same, no change. Maybe there’s more accessibility, that’s all. Where privacy is concerned, those crime-watch cctvs are worse – we have some in our town. Our every movement in and out of our houses is being watched…and worse, recorded!!! Good thing they cannot see into our houses, what goes on behind closed doors. I hear there are hidden cameras in ladies’ fitting rooms in departmental stores…and hotel rooms too – people share a lot of these things on Facebook. Better don’t travel…nor buy clothes or just buy, don’t try!

I google street view my car. Hahaha… it’s a very impressive tool but can be funny at times. Never been to sibu before, maybe it will be my next sarawak destination 🙂

Yes, you too! Come! Come! Always welcome, anytime. Originally from just next door and you’ve never been here. Duhhhh!!!! It will be my pleasure taking you around, be your food tour guide. Just let me know when you’re coming and I’ll take it from here.

New app? Haha.. I’m so not up to date 😅 We only use Waze. Sibu is a small town that I got lost everytime I came to town. haish… 😂😂

Dunno all these Waze or whatever. I don’t have a smartphone…and no, I do not get lost in Sibu and I do know my way around quite well in Kuching except perhaps some of the new areas that I am not familiar with.